Newbie doc idea

[crymerci]

I was thinking that it might be useful to create a document of quick tips for newbies: things that their characters would know but they as newbies wouldn't.  This is somewhat inspired by the recent thread on amusing mistakes we made as newbies, but also based on some experiences I've had recently in the game.  I thought it would be helpful to have these things all in one place.

For example:
:arrow: Property of the soldiers of the 2 city-states can be recognized by a jade cross (Allanak) or a sunburst or sun pommel (Tuluk).  Possession of these items or attempt to sell them will get you wanted by the law.
:arrow: Not all cities have jails.  If you get caught breaking the law in some cities, you will most likely die.
:arrow: Playing an elf or half-elf means you will not be liked by other races.  Be prepared.
:arrow: Playing a dwarf means that you will not speak sirihish (the most common tongue) very fluently at first.
:arrow: Some cities close their gates at night.  If you are left outside after the sun goes down you are likely to die.
:arrow: It's generally considered rude to sit at someone's table uninvited.  If you want to meet people and get recruited, sitting at the bar is a good place to socialize.
:arrow: Nobles can be recognized by silver rings, and also by 7-pronged star tattoos in Tuluk.
:arrow: Nobles and templars should be bowed or curtsied to, and shouldn't be approached unless summoned, they will initiate conversation if they want to speak with a commoner.  If you need to speak to one you should approach one of their servants or guards.

And that's just off the top of my head.

[Marauder Moe]

:arrow: When speaking with a Templar one should use the term Lord/Lady Templar, not sir/ma'am or anything else.  (That one nearly got one of my former characters killed)

[Summer]

:arrow: Gortoks are not sissies.

[Malifaxis]

:arrow: Halflings are not cute, and will not smoke plants with you.  Bring salt.

:arrow: Magick users are not cool, they are not 1337.  They are hated and despised except in very limited cultures.

:arrow: If you own a mount, always remember to hitch it, and read the file on 'pack' command.

[Delirium]

:arrow: You do not have to jump up and bow to a Templar or Noble unless they are paying attention to you in some way. You can bow if you want, no one's stopping you, but the whole entire room doesn't need to get up and do a bow when your average Templar or Noble walks in, so you don't need to either.

:arrow: If you run into a magicker outside the gates or even in the city, and you are from Tuluk, your first instinct would probably be one of one thing: Run! Run for your lives, and preferrably to the nearest Templar. Striking up a conversation or trying to fight them would be considered pretty suicidal. After all, what if they snap their fingers and turn you into a gimpka rat, and then step on you and feed you to your brother, whom they've raised from the dead and turned into a were-gortok? They're unpredictable and scary, scary, scary. The average Tuluki commoner knows very little to nothing about magick.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

:arrow: One word: 'nosave'. If you don't know what it is, find out quick! (via the helpfiles)
:arrow: Don't identify yourself by your guild. If you go around telling people you're a 'burgalar' or 'pickpocket' or 'assassin', they won't be understanding at all. On the same note, just because you're a 'warrior' doesn't mean you need to grab a sword and kill things. A 'pickpocket' could easily go his entire life without stealing anything. When you pick your guild, it doesn't determine your character's entire career for the rest of their life. Feel free to be creative when dealing with guilds.

[marilla]

A slight variation to what was written before. This from personal observations in Tuluk.

:arrow: Nobles and Templars should not be approached when they appear busy and unless the matter is important. If a noble sits alone and you are seeking a position, approaching him/her is usually fine, provided one acts politely.

:arrow: When dealing with Templars and Nobles, be prepared to individuals acting differently.

[Summer]

From a roleplaying point of view. It may be helpful to keep a journal of the things that have happened to your character. Also note down how the character felt, and their changing reactions to the things that have happened to them. Initially they may confront something with fear, then shock, then anger, so it helps you as a player figure out what's going on inside your characters head.

Did I forget the arrow? Oh, here ya go..  :arrow:

hehehe  :wink:

[My 2 sids]

:idea:  :!:  :!: Amen to the Nosave function.  One of my first intense plots and I mess up because I don't know how to stop defending myself.


Also, I don't know if its just looked over or not talked about or what... but people need to know how to sit.   Countless times I've come into a tavern to see people sitting on the floor.

[Xygax]

To a degree, these seem like two different pieces of documentation.  Some are hard facts (cities close their gates at night, jade weapons belong to soldiers, etc.), some are RP guidelines....

I personally think the hard-facts/common-sense document is more useful for the beginning newbie.  RP guidelines can be got here (alot of the RP guidelines I've seen on this thread aren't even things that are widely agreed-upon in discussions here), at the new player's leisure.  Hard-facts/common-sense and genuine survival tips are probably more useful.....  some simple syntax tutorials in this doc might be night also.  Wasn't it awfully nice of crymerci to volunteer to compile it?   :twisted:

-- Xygax

[JollyGreenGiant]

:arrow: The ~, !, @, #, %, and ^ symbols are your friends.  Eventually, you'll remember which one goes to what...

:arrow: Generally speaking, falling is bad for you.  Be careful around heights.

:arrow: On a related topic, getting knocked out is bad.  Set your prompt and watch your stun.

:arrow: Water is your friend.  Going out into the desert without water is generally a bad idea.